Tesla To Start Taking Orders For Solar Roof Tiles In April, Elon Musk Tweets

Tesla will begin taking orders for its solar roof in April, CEO Elon Musk said Friday. In a series of tweets, Musk also released a video of the release candidate version of the upcoming Model 3, officially called the Model S3X.

Read: Tesla Model 3 News: First Drive Video Tweeted By Elon Musk

When Tesla acquired SolarCity, a solar installer, in 2015, it had also unveiled solar roof tiles along with several new versions of batteries for storing solar energy.

The solar roof tiles will be available in four different styles – Tuscan glass, smooth glass, slate glass and textured glass.

The tiles will generate electricity using solar energy, and the company claims they can power a four-bedroom house for an entire day. They are being seen as a replacement to traditional roof tiles. According to details that have so far been revealed, the solar energy will be stored in Tesla’s Powerwall 2.0 energy storage system, which can store 14 kWh of electricity and generate 7 kWh peak power.

Read: What To Expect From Tesla In 2017

Last year, Tesla had released few more details about the solar roof tiles and provided some insights into the product and the material used. However, even though the pre-order date has been revealed, there is no news on how much these tiles will cost.

According to the company website, the production will begin sometime in mid-2017. It has also said that the solar tiles have better longevity and are also more affordable than traditional roof.

Tesla had also announced a partnership with Panasonic to manufacture photovoltaic (PV) cells and other solar modules jointly at Tesla’s factory in Buffalo, New York.

The solar roof, home battery and Tesla’s electric car, makes Musk’s vision of taking people off fossil fuel clearer. Last year, at a conference call with reporters, Musk had said: “It needs to (be) beautiful, affordable and seamlessly integrated."